This invention relates to apparatus for changing the stroke length of a crank rod driven by a flywheel, and particularly to such apparatus as used in heavy equipment, for example vibratory coal feeders or the like.
One type of coal or ore feeder commonly in use, has a sliding floorplate which reciprocates back and forth so as to feed material gradually to a container or perhaps a conveyor. The drive mechanism for the feeder includes a pair of crank rods journaled on a cross shaft on opposite sides of the floorplate and a second cross shaft having a pair of spaced flywheels for driving the rods back and forth. Usually the stroke length of the crank rods is adjustable so that the rate of feeding the material may be varied. One type of adjustment may include a pair of movable gear racks mounted on each flywheel with the respective crank pins clamped therebetween. The operator makes the adjustments and measures the distance of each of the crankpins from the flywheel axis. This leaves room for measurement and other human errors which cause unequal stroke of the two crank rods and, along with the lack of adequate support for the crank pins themselves has resulted in breakage, particularly when the equipment is started up in cold weather.
Various other types of stroke adjustment apparatus are known as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,161,067 Moller and U.S. Pat. No. 1,779,981 Nickerson. However, I am not aware of any apparatus which will provide positive accurate adjustment of crank length stroke and which will solve the above problems. I also do not know of any available apparatus which will provide positive accurate positioning of the crank rods attached to two or more spaced separate flywheels mounted on one shaft.
It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide apparatus for positive adjustment of the stroke length of a crank rod to prescribed positions.
A further object is to provide apparatus for positive adjustment of crank rods on two or more separate flywheels mounted on a shaft.
Still another object is to provide apparatus for adjusting the stroke length of a crank rod which is not subject to breakage.